Dream Show: Tom A Smith

Sunderland’s rising star Tom A. Smith follows up his debut EP (entitled EP 1, featuring Elton John’s fave single Dragonfly) with his latest single, Could I l Live With Being Fake. The track is a driving, riff-filled rock anthem complete with impassioned vocals, pounding rhythms and soaring solos.

The solo artist has a string of fantastical high profile shows coming up (Liverpool Sound City, The Great Escape, as well as support slots for Miles Kane and Sunset Sons) but here, we find out what the show of Tom’s dreams would actually look like…

You’ll have to bear with me here as I’m ambitious (or deluded) and this might take a little…

Venue
I went to Wembley Stadium in 2014ish and from that moment it became my dream venue.  Imagine an enormous stage with a runway and more screens than Champs Sports Bar in Washington (it has a lot of screens, maybe too many for a pub).  I’d expect Hypersonic Confetti Cannons and a camera set-up that allows them to swoop and then zoom in uncomfortably close.  I’d also need a system in place to allow me to get to the royal box easily.

Line-Up
I think I’d have The Bootleg Beatles to start it off.  They look and sound great, so I reckon that would get everyone in the mood for a party.  They’d be dressed in Sgt Pepper era bright suits and I’d expect them to end on Hey Jude.

Next up I’d go local, so I think Sam Fender, he’d make sure the place was rammed early and his songs are that good he doesn’t need a lot of setting up.  I’d make sure he played some of his early stuff that’s dropped off his set because I’ve seen him that many times now I fancy a few curveballs in there.

Main Support would be Olivia Rodrigo.  It would make an interesting show and her album Sour is a bit of pop perfection.  I covered the whole thing for something to do over New Year and I don’t think there’s a bad song on the album.  This would also enable me to perform a duet with her as I am the…

Main Headliner
Me every time.  I normally have support slots at the minute and have far more songs to play than it ever allows me time to play.  Two and a half hour set where they kick us off because we’ve gone past the curfew.  I’d arrive twenty minutes late by hot air balloon onto a platform and instantly start singing as I climbed out (the band are already on stage and have been playing the same intro for 15 mins).  We’d have a light show and a special guest appearance of a hologram of Freddy Mercury doing his Live Aid Wembley crowd thing.

Sounds like a plan.

See you there in 2024!!!